Compilation
Smithia sphaerocephala

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Name

Identification
Smithia sphaerocephala Baker [family LEGUMINOSAE ] Kotschya aeschynomenoides (Welw. ex Baker) Dewit & P.A.Duvign. [family LEGUMINOSAE ] (stored under name);
Related name
  • Smithia sphaerocephala
  • Kotschya aeschynomenoides
  • Smithia sensitiva
  • Smithia sensitva

Flora

Entry for KOTSCHYA aeschynomenoiides (Bak.) Dewit & Duvign. [family LEGUMINOSAE-PAPILIONOIDEAE]
Herbarium
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K)
Collection
Flora of Tropical East Africa
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry From
Flora of Tropical East Africa, page 1, (1971) Author: J. B. GILLETT, R. M. POLHILL & B. VERDCOURT
Names
KOTSCHYA aeschynomenoiides (Bak.) Dewit & Duvign. [family LEGUMINOSAE-PAPILIONOIDEAE], in B.S.B.B. 86: 213 (1954) & in F.C.B. 5: 338, fig. 22 (1954); Torre in C.F.A. 3: 206 (1966); Verdc. in K.B. 24: 39 (1970). Types: Angola, Huila, Monhino, Welwitsch 2136 (LISU, syn., BM, K, isosyn.!) & Catumba, Welwitsch 2136b (LISU, syn., BM, isosyn.!) & between R. Caculovar and Quilengues, Welwitsch 2140 (LISU, syn., BM, K, isosyn.!)
Smithia aeschynomenoïdes Bak. [family LEGUMINOSAE-PAPILIONOIDEAE], in F.T.A. 2: 153 (1871); Harms in V.E. 3(1): 616 (1915); L.T.A.: 306 (1929); F.P.N.A. 1: 324 (1948); T.T.C.L.: 441 (1949)
Smithia volkensii Taub. [family LEGUMINOSAE-PAPILIONOIDEAE], in P.O.A. C: 215 (1895); L.T.A.: 305 (1929); T.T.C.L.: 442 (1949). Type: Tanganyika, Kilimanjaro, Rombo, Volkens 401 (B, holo. †, K, iso. !)
Smithia sphaerocephala Bak. [family LEGUMINOSAE-PAPILIONOIDEAE], in K.B. 1897: 260 (1897); L.T.A.: 305 (1929). Type: Malawi, Kondowe to Karonga, Whyte (K, holo. !)
Smithia ruwenzoriensis Bak. f. [family LEGUMINOSAE-PAPILIONOIDEAE], in J.L.S. 38: 246 (1908) & L.T.A.: 306 (1929). Type: Uganda, Ruwenzori, Wollaston (BM, holo. !)
Smithia mildbraedii Harms [family LEGUMINOSAE-PAPILIONOIDEAE], in Z.A.E.: 260 (1911); L.T.A.: 308 (1929). Type: Rwanda, Rugege Forest, Mildbraed 734 (B, holo. †)
Kotschya volkensii (Taub.) Dewit & Duvign. [family LEGUMINOSAE-PAPILIONOIDEAE], in F.C.B. 5: 340 (1954), nom. non rite publ.
Information
Erect, rarely decumbent, aromatic shrub (0.15–)0.5–3 m. tall. Stems sticky and glandular, densely covered with bristly tubercular-based hairs. Leaves (12–)16–34-foliolate; leaflets oblong to oblong-lanceolate, 0.2– 1.4(–1.7) cm. long, 1–3.5 mm. wide, obtuse and mucronulate at the apex, oblique at the base, glabrous save for sparse glandular hairs on the main nerve beneath; basal nerves 2–3, the main one submarginal; petiole and rhachis together 1.3–7.5 cm. long; petiolules 0.5 mm. long; stipules lanceolate, 4–7 mm. long, 1–3 mm. wide, acute, scarious, glandular ciliate, ± deciduous. Inflorescences axillary, often curved, dense, strobilate; rhachis 1–7 cm. long; peduncle 0.5–1.5 cm. long; pedicels 5–7 mm. long; bracts free, falcate-lanceolate or ovate, 2–6 mm. long, 1–3 mm. wide, acute, asymmetric at the base, pubescent; bracteoles free, elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate, 2–6(–7) mm. long, 0.7–2 mm. wide, pubescent. Calyx pubescent, 4–8 mm. long, 2-lipped, the lips elliptic or oblong, the upper deeply emarginate, the lower deeply divided into 3 rounded or acute ovate lobes. Standard white, pale lilac or bluish-violet, often veined mauve, rounded, 0.8–1.2 cm. long, 4–9 mm. wide, emarginate, glabrous save for a few hairs on the central nerve; claw conspicuous; wings white; keel white or bluish-violet. Pods of 1–2 articles, each semicircular, 2–2.5 mm. long and wide, glabrous. Seeds dark brown, oblong-rounded, longest dimension 2 mm., shorter dimension 1.7 mm., 1.2 mm. thick.
Range
DISTR. U2; K4–7; T1–5, 7, 8
Altitude range
1350–2550 m.
Distribution
KENYA Meru District E. Mt. Kenya, Mutonga R., 24 Feb. 1922, Fries 1903 !KENYA Kitui District Galunka, 24 May 1902, Kassner 795!KENYA Teita District Kasigau, summit of Dulun, July 1937, Dale in F.D. 3782 !TANGANYIKA Mwanza District Uzinza, Geita, 20 June 1937, B. D. Burtt 6440!TANGANYIKA Pare District Mshiweni, June 1936, Mr. & Mrs. Leechman 8 !TANGANYIKA Mpanda District below Kungwe Mt., 6 Sept. 1959, Harley 9528 !UGANDA Ankole District Butale, 27 Apr. 1946, A. S. Thomas 4468 !UGANDA Kigezi District Kanaba [Kinaba], Luhiza, Mar. 1947, Purseglove 2361 ! & Behungi, 19 Dec. 1933, A. 8. Thomas 1080 !
Distribution (external)
; Congo
Rwanda
Sudan
Malawi
Zambia
Angola
Notes
It must be admitted that as treated above this is a very variable species. The main variation is to be found in the length of the bracts, bracteoles, calyx and standard. Typical K. aeschynomenoïdes has short elliptic bracteoles 3 mm. long, the standard 8–9 mm. long and the calyx ± 5 mm. long. Smithia sphaerocephala and S. ruwenzoriensis represent large-flowered variants, the former having bracteoles 3.5 mm. long and the latter 4.5 mm. long; in both the standard is 11–12 mm. long. S. volkensii applies to the variant having longer lanceolate bracteoles, 5–6(–7) mm. long, and small standard, 7.5–8 mm. long. Between these variants it is possible to find specimens with other combinations of characters and a division into subspecies with a good geographical or ecological basis is not obvious. S. mildbraedii is included in the above synonymy purely from the description—the leaflets are said to be up to 20-jugate; the corolla is not described. It is not dealt with in the F.C.B. account.

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